NEWS TIPS newsroom@tbw.com.au 6 NEWS VISIT US ONLINE borderwatch.com.au NEWS 6 Secret diary links region to million dollar murder mystery Investigators follow leads found in Millicent man’s home From front page Mr Peters died last November and the diary was found when his family was cleaning out his Adelaide home. According to media reports, Mr Peters was a close associate of several key players in the so-called Family Murders which involved convicted killer Bevan Spencer von Einem. Inspector Greg Hutchins confirmed to The Border Watch that the investigation branch had the diary excerpts and would investigate the allegations and content of the diary. Mr Peters was a member of a pioneering Tantanoola family, which settled in the area in the 1860s. He was an artist of note and is perhaps best known for his work in the early 1990s, when he restored one of his forebear’s cottages near the Tantanoola Cave. Mr Peters also transformed the area into an award-winning terraced garden. It is alleged the diary linked Von Einem - who has also been a suspect in the disappearance of the Beaumont children - to the murder of teenager Alan Barnes. The new allegations come as the State Government offers million dollar rewards in relation to 13 cases involving the murder or presumed murder of children. A $1m reward will be paid for each case for information leading to a conviction. One of the 13 unsolved cases includes information regarding the whereabouts of Stuart Pearce, who is wanted for questioning in relation to the death of his wife and children in the Adelaide outer suburb of Parafield Gardens in January 1991. After the fire was extinguished at the house, the bodies of his wife Meredith and three children Adam, WANTED: The grave of Meredith Pearce and her three children at Carinya Gardens Cemetery in Mount Gambier is a sad reminder of their brutal death in Adelaide in 1991. Police are offering a $1m reward to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of their killer. 11, Travis, 9, and Kerry, 2, were found in the ruins. Mrs Pearce had been beaten to death and the children were found with plastic bags over their heads. She and her children were buried in the Carinya Gardens Cemetery in Mount Gambier. The last reported sighting of Mr Pearce - who is believed to have changed his appearance to avoid detection - was in March 1996 near Mount Gambier. SA Police assistant crime commissioner Paul Dickson called for people with information to come forward and in turn bring some peace to the families affected by the unsolved murders. He said police had followed up the reported sightings of Mr Pearce in the South East over the years, but officers were yet to locate him. “It is difficult to imagine a harder thing for a family than the disappearance or murder of a child or in some tragic cases a number of children,” assistant crime commissioner Dickson said. “This reward reiterates our ongoing commitment to the families - a case is never closed until solved - and should be a warning to those responsible for these crimes.” Rewards offered in major unsolved cases SOUTH Australia Police have announced an offer of $1m rewards for information leading to convictions for 13 unsolved child murders and disappearances, including two cases that had strong links with the South East. Among the victims are Meredith Pearce and her three children, Adam, 11, Travis, 9, and Kerry, 2, who were killed on January 6, 1991. They were buried in Mount Gambier, where a plaque at the Carinya Gardens Cemetery serves as a sad reminder of their brutal death in Adelaide. Other unsolved cases include: •Melissa Brown, 15, who was last seen on May 13, 2000, leaving an address in Dover Street, Blair Athol. Her father is believed to have been living in Robe at the time. •The Beaumont children - Jane, 9, Anna, 7, and Grant, 4 - who disappeared from Glenelg on Australia Day 1966. •Patricia Schmidt, 16, whose body was found off a dirt track at Hallett Cove on December 18, 1971. •Joanne Ratcliffe, 11, and Kirste Gordon, 4, who disappeared from MYSTERY: Alan Barnes, 17, was murdered in 1979. Adelaide Oval on August 25, 1973. •Marilyn Qualmann, 14, who disappeared from her home in Moorook on September 21, 1975. •Alan Barnes, 17, whose body was found under the South Para Bridge near Williamston on 24, June 1979. •Peter Stogneff, 14, whose remains were found on June 23, 1982, at a property on Middle Beach Road, Two Wells. •Michaela Godau, 15, who disappeared from her Elizabeth Field (now Davoren Park) home overnight on December 19-20, 1982. •Richard Kelvin, 15, whose 6 - The Border Watch, Wednesday, February 12, 2014 UNSOLVED: Melissa Brown’s body was found at Garden Island. body was found near an airstrip at Kersbrook on July 24, 1983 - 19 days after he was abducted from a laneway off Ward Street, North Adelaide. •Juan Morgan, 15, who disappeared in 1992. •Rhianna Barreau, 12, who was last seen on October 7, 1992, at her home in Wakefield Avenue, Morphett Vale. •Heather Turner, 16, whose body was found on January 31, 1998, partly submerged in a creek. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at sa.crimestoppers.com.au Federal overview sought From front page The region’s councils agreed at the meeting to host a forum to hear from authorities and both sides of the debate on the controversial mining practice known as fracking to form a view on whether they should take action on behalf of the community. Mr Gandolfi said similar reforms to those made by the Federal Government to control coal seam gas mining could be introduced to provide stronger regulation of shale and geothermal gas activity, protecting South East resources. He said it was appropriate for the Commonwealth to intervene on the matter. “There is at least a Picture: ALEX McGREGOR He said the appeal for new information remained constant. “Our arrests last year in relation to three historic cases - Louise Bell (1983), Karen Williams (1991)) and Yasmina Sinodinos (1991) - show cases can be progressed through both the provision of additional information and the development of new technology,” he said. “Following these significant breakthroughs, SAPOL reviewed its approach to these cases and sought the support of the government to offer these substantial rewards in a bid to provide some justice and closure for these families.” perceived conflict of interest with the state being the regulator and the receiver of royalties,” Mr Gandolfi said. An amendment passed by both sides of politics last year requires independent investigations by the Commonwealth prior to any related coal seam gas activity to protect natural resources. Mr Gandolfi said further legislative change would not hold back progress or unfairly restrict industry. “It just means you need to go through some extra steps,” he said. “It ensures adequate safeguards are put in place without any perceived conflict of interest.” Mr Gandolfi said a bill would need to be introduced into Federal Parliament seeking an amendment. “It needs to be considered seriously as an action that will ensure the protection of an aquifer,” he said. “It is one of our most important natural resources.” Members of lobby groups pushing for a ban on unconventional gas exploration in the region recently held a phone conference with outspoken Independent Senator for South Australia Nick Xenophon on the issue. WANTED: A photograph of Stuart Pearce with his family. Mr Pearce is wanted for questioning following the murder of his wife and three of his children, who are buried in Mount Gambier. It is hoped Mr Xenophon will voice the community’s concerns at federal level after advocating on other community issues across the state since becoming a senator in 2008.